Police in Florida are on the hunt for a thief who stole an engagement ring and wedding bands from his girlfriend and used them to propose to his other girlfriend.
Joseph L. Davis, 48, who went by "Joe Brown" with one girlfriend and "Marcus Brown" with the other, is wanted on a felony charge of grand theft, according to the Volusia Sheriff's Department.
The situation began to unfold after a woman from Orange City came forward to the police earlier this year and said she discovered her boyfriend was actually engaged to someone else.
Upon researching the other woman's Facebook page, she noticed a photo of her wearing a wedding band and engagement ring that was identical to her own, from a prior marriage.
When she checked her jewelry box, she discovered her rings were missing, along with several other items. A diamond ring that belonged to her grandmother had also been taken. The total value of property stolen was about $6,270 (£4,537).
The woman then confronted "Brown" about the thefts and began talking to the fiancée in Orlando, after which she got some of her missing belongings back. With both of the relationships over, the victims began cooperating with each other and detectives.
The Orlando fiancée described how "Brown" had tricked her too, even taking her to the Orange City girlfriend's house while she was at work and claiming the house was his. The man also asked her to move in with him, which she was about to do.
The fiancée also reported a laptop and jewelry were missing from her apartment after "Brown" moved out and disappeared.
Both women had met Davis on the dating app OKCupid, in 2015 and 2016 respectively. However, neither woman knew his real name.
When detectives searched databases and shared photos of "Brown" with other law enforcement agencies in hopes of identifying him, they came up empty. However, one of the women was able to track down a relative of Davis in North Carolina, which eventually led to his real name.
Law enforcement found out Davis had a record as a convicted felon in Oregon and North Carolina. They also discovered he had an active arrest warrant out of Oregon for a hit and run crash with injuries.
The Volusia Sheriff's Department said his prior arrests include possession of fictitious ID, filing a false police report, domestic assault and possession of cocaine with intent to sell.
Davis is believed to have a tattoo described as a cross with "Only God can judge me" on his left arm, according to police.
The department said in a statement: "Anyone with information about Davis' whereabouts is asked to contact the Volusia Sheriff's Office at 386-668-3830 and ask for Detective Wheeler. If you want to remain anonymous and qualify for a potential cash reward, you can contact Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida at 888-277-TIPS, or via the P3 Tips app available at Northeastflorida.crimestoppersweb.com."
